Railroad-tie



(No Model.)

S. P. SBELY.

Railroad Tie.

No. 235,706. Patentednec. 21,1880.Y

FISI.

N.FETEHS, FHOTOAUTHOGRAPHER, wAsmNG'wN D c UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

SAMUEL F. SEELY, lOF PETERSBURG, MICHIGAN.

RAILROAD-TIE..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,706, dated December 21, 1880.

Application ledApril 22,1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. SEELY, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Petersburg, in the county of Monroe and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Ties and Fish-Plates; and I do hereby declare the tollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters ofv reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. y

This invention has for its object to furnish a compound railway-tie which will preserve its position on the railway-bed without being ballasted, as is required for ordinary ties.

It consists in two main longitudinal ties formed hollow underneath and united by two cross-ties provided with central vertical supports and held by cross-brace rods, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan, and Fig. 2 a cross vertical section, of my invention. ga a are the two main ties, which are laid longitudinally on the bed of the road, and on them the rails b are laid, as shown.

The longitudinal tie ce is made of any suitable material, and is hollowed out on its under side, so as to form the side walls, a a?, and the end walls, a3, all sloping outward, as shown. It is also made with a flat top, a4, on which the rails b are laid and secured by plates b', held by bolts b2. The bolts b2 are put through the bolt-holes b3 and are inserted from below the top a4, as shown.

The plates or fastenings b are formed with ianges or lips b4, which project over the edges of the foot of the rail, and with the flanges or lips b5, which 'are bent downward against the inclined sides a/ d2 ot' the ties a, and hold them firmly in place, thus making secure fastenings for the rails b. The plates b may be cast in one piece or made in three pieces, as shown.

The longitudinal ties a a, are united by two cross-ties, c c, arranged near their ends and a slight distance above the lower, edges of the inner side-walls, a2 c2. These cross-ties o c are parallel with the surface of the road-bed, and

being elevated above the lower edges of the side ties, a a, water will drain off below them. They are made tiat and ot' strong material, so that ii' by the settling of the entire device they are brought onto the surface ofthe roadbed they will present very little obstruction to the free drainage of the water. t

On the upper sides of the cross-ties c c, and equidistant between the longitudinal ties aa, I place the vertical standards or bridges c' c which support the brace-rods d 6l. The bracerods d dhave their ends put through and near the top ot1 the longitudinal ties a a, and are held by nuts d' d against the outer walls, a. a', as shown. Therods are arranged parallel with the cross-ties c c, and pass over and are supported on the tops of the central standards, c c'.

This compound railway tie, made as described, will maintain itself in proper position on the road-bed without ballasting. The lon gitudinal ties being hollow underneath, with sloping sides and ends, as described, will become iirmer as they settle downward. The inclined sides tend to compact the earth within the hollow space, and the more compact the earth becomes the firmer will be the position of the tie. The cross-ties o prevent the longitudinal ties from being crowded apart at their bottoms. AThe cross-braces d d prevent theA upper portions of the longitudinal ties from spreading. The braces d, having their fastenings on outer walls, a c', of the longitudinal ties, and being supported against the crossties by the standards or bridges c', give to the compound tie great iirmness in structure, and all the parts ot' the entire device will be maintained constantly in the same relative position to each other, thereby preserving the opposite rails of the track at all times in their proper relations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The compound tie for railways, composed ot' the longitudinal ties c a., made hollow underneath and having the inclined sides c a? a3, the cross-ties c c, having the central supports, c', and the brace-rods d d, all arranged IOO to operate substantially as and for the pur- I In testimony that I claim the foregoing I pose set forth. have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of Io 2. The combination, with the hollow tie a, March, 1880.

having inclined sides et' t2 and bolt-holes b3, of

5 the plate b', having the fla-nge b4 and iiztnge b5 SAMUEL F' SEELY fbent down l(tgstinst `the inclined side ofthe tie Witnesses:

a, and the bolt and nut b2, substantially as set H. CAMBURN,

forth. THos. H. LEAeI-I. 

